Cigar Review: Gurkha Samurai - JR Cigars

Brothers Cigar Release Party and Tasting!

Brothers Fine Tobacco is proud to launch not one, but 2 new private label cigars, The Big and Little Brother!

The Big brother is Broduced by Quesada, and the Little by Ventura. Guests will be able to sample the "Little Brother" cigar absolutely FREE!!

Fine drinks will also be served. Come Celebrate this Landmark success with us!

Join the Facebook event HERE!

Black Friday Galaga Tournament!!

Good Evening Cigar Smokers,
     I hope you're taking time to sit outside and enjoy the fantastically cool weather we've been having. I want to take a few moments in the spirit of Thanksgiving and say Thank You for being our customer. We know you can choose whom to support, and it means a great deal when you support us.


With Thanksgiving holiday comes the most wonderful time of the year, that's right the shopping season! As you find yourself tired of roaming endless aisles of Christmas wares, come rest your feet at the Lounge,
We'll be hosting a FREE Galaga Tournament from 6-9 with (of course) great black Friday sales of our own, 25% OFF ON ALL CIGARS AND PIPES!


1st place in Galaga Wins a cigar and cutter!


Your Local Tobacconist,
John
Brothers Fine Tobacco

Look for this Ad coming soon in the Copperas Cove Leader Press. Thanks to David Morris for always helping out!

Cigar Review: Perdomo Habano Corojo

Big Announcement!

Cigar Review: Macanudo Gold

Cigar Review: Perdomo Champagne 10 Yr

It's anew month, and you know what that means....New cigar of the month!Gurkha Seduction Seduction is an...
Posted by Brothers Fine Tobacco on Wednesday, October 7, 2015

Cigar Review: Victor Sinclair Vintage Doppel Gordo

Cigar Review: Perdomo Habano Connecticut

A Cigar You Should Be Smoking

So here is a cigar that we have carried since the beginning. It's a little know brand, but loaded with flavor. Hand rolled in Nicaragua by the Hugo Cassar Company.


This is their Hugito, little Hugo. Only 3.75 inches by 50 ring gauge.


From Nicaragua, Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper.
Nose: Hay, light spice


Cold draw: Hay, sweet tobacco, draw is slightly tightened


Roll: Very smooth and straight, light veins, Cuban trademark green spots.
First light: Toasted corn, bread, nicotine on the back of the tongue.


1st half: Toasted bread, white pepper, nicotine long white ash, light tannic green notes.


2nd half: Sweet tobacco, light wood and bread notes.
Very nice short smoke, LONG stable ash, very high quality roll backed by years of experience for Hugo Cassar!

Cigar Review: Quorum Shade Grown Connecticut

Another Milestone, Over 100 Different Cigars!!

As you may or may not know, I started planning this business in August of 2013. I didn't open my door (yes, single) until October 2014. When I opened I has approximately 15 different cigars, 5 pipes, some accessories, and 3 different types of pipe tobacco. I was set up in a small 10 x 20 space at the bell county flea market, not knowing if anyone was going to stop in. And for a few weeks, they didn't.

Those are humble beginnings.

I am pleased to post this sign:

 We now have over 100 different premium cigars in our walk in humidor. I know this may not compare to alot of larger stores, but it's a significant mile stone for us.

We started out with just 15 different cigars. And in only 9 months, have expanded our cigar inventory almost 10 fold!

We sincerely thank all of our customers for your support and keeping our business alive!

New Cigars!

We've always have something new going on here at the lounge. Today I'm proud to say its 5 new cigars!

Drew Estate Natural Big Jucy.
Natural cigars by Drew Estate are crafted using the finest Nicaraguan leaf combined with traditional black tobaccos from Syria, Turkey, St. James Parish and other exotic locales. Jucy Lucy has its own distinctive blend of sweet tobaccos for a unique and satisfying cigar that is mild to medium-bodied with a Natural wrapper.

Beautiful sweet, smooth smoke. Very popular with people that like the Acid or Isle Del Sol lines also from drew estate!

4 new cigars by Cusano. LXi Sungrown, 59, 18 year old Connecticut, and 18 year old Paired Maduro.

Cusano 18 is made with 18-year aged Dominican Olor filler tobaccos (yes indeed: 18 years). These fillers are combined with a rotund helping of Cuban-seed Dominican fillers for oomph and bound by a super-smooth Connecticut shade binder (a wrapper-quality binder), and the whole thing is then dressed with an even smoother, silkier Connecticut shade outer wrapper. The end result is a cigar bursting with rich n’ creamy goodness, followed by a complex, full-flavored finish. Complex yet smooth, with a well deserved 91 rating.

The Cusano 59 Rare Cameroon is an interesting item- an authentic, African Cameroon - a wrapper which most factories no longer use due to its astronomical price tag. But the reward is well worth the price. This wrapper imparts a rich, semi-sweet flavor that’s interesting and unique. Inside, lies a well-aged blend of Dominican long-filler tobaccos that are well fermented and extremely flavorful. The result is a complex and refined medium-bodied smoke that’s smooth and balanced throughout every inch. Notes of coffee, cedar, earth, pepper and a hint of sweetness on the finish make for a delicious experience.

For Cusano Habano LXI Sun Grown, it all begins with the wrapper. This ‘exotic’ leaf is a crossbreed of Habano-seed Ecuadorian and Dominican, grown out in the open to absorb everything the sun has to offer. This results in a thick, leathery leaf with ample flavors and natural oils. Various Dominican long-leaf ligeros are blended creating an eventful, spicy core layered with interesting complexities. The cigar is medium to full-bodied and full-flavored, promoting a rich, but buttery-smooth sensation offering earth, pepper, and a silky sweetness on the aftertaste.

This brings our total to over 100 different cigars in our Humidor!
Don't forget that we do custom orders for the cigars that you want!

Cigar of The Month!

So it's 2 weeks into the lovely (HOT!) Month of July, but if you haven't seen the new Cigars of the Month on our Facebook page, here they are:

Rocky Patel Edge series.
    -Lite
    -Corojo
    -Sumatra
    - Maduro

Your choice at $1 off per stick; 4 very different cigars ate a GREAT price!

All of the Rocky Patel Edge are rated 90+ and have something for all tastes. I prefer the Sumatra out of the four. The wrapper gives a nice sweet tobacco finish that I look for in my favorites cigars.

Come in and let me get you one to tantalize your palate!

Are you inviting?

I'm currently eating at one of my favorite restaurants, waiting on my car to be completed for maintenance. Before I  came  to eat, I stopped into a local cigar store in Harker Heights just to kill some time. I walked into there humidor and was immediately discouraged.  Dust, and lots of it. Not heavy, but just enough to really notice it. In my course of looking around, i noticed light cobwebs here and there, old cigar boxes still holding cigars, a shoddy looking humidifier, and some other things that would not have in mine.

Don't get me wrong. This is not a post to blast someone else's set up. That place has been in business for over 6 years, so they're doing something right.

What this is about, is the FEEL of that place. I walked in and it felt like walking into someone's garage. Things stacked, dusty cobwebs, old boxes that needed to be removed. It looked and felt old. I was not excited to be in there. I genuinely felt saddened by the atmosphere.

The cigar selection was good, and prices were slightly higher than expected. The place was well humidified, lots of shelving, and the floor was clean. It had all the things that made it technically acceptable, but after really looking, it was a disheartening situation. It didn't make me want to ask questions or try something new. It gave me a feeling of "in and out" purchasing.

Selection and price aren't everything, especially in the luxury business. As a cigar store owner, my store speaks volumes about me, and I want it to say, "come in, we're glad you're here."

Cigar Tasting Tomorrow Evening!

You've probably seen the facebook even t here: https://www.facebook.com/events/391286607725666/ but i just wants to put up a quick reminder of our open house cigar tasting happening tomorrow June 26th from 6 till 9pm. 

If you can't make it right at 6, no worries, come on by before 9 and try a new cigar.

In promotion of our current Cigar of the Month, we will be tasting the La Libertad. Dominican Republic Habano wrapper and rated 92 by Cigar Aficionado! Awesome notes of Coffee, toasted nuts, and bread. Remember these are buy 3 get one free ONLY through June 30th.

Come try before you Buy!

Looking for a Cigar? Just ask!

A lot of times is hard to find a certain cigar we like, have tried in the past, or want to try. Sometimes we don't even know what we want to smoke!

So let us help. We make recommendations based on cigars you like, or even don't like. If there is a specific cigar you are looking for, just ask. We can get just about any brand (a few exceptions) cigar here at the shop in about a week. 

Oh yeah, and they're ready to smoke as  soon as they arrive, unlike most mail/internet dealers, who keep their stock in uncontrolled warehouses. Don't sacrifice quality for quantity.

When bigger isn't better

I know, I know, everything's bigger in Texas. And while many things are better when they are bigger, like pancakes, fires, and bank accounts, cigars are different matter.

What are the 3 parts of a cigar? Wrapper, binder, and filler.  Which part contributes the most flavors to the cigar? The wrapper. Which part is the most expensive and best tasting? The wrapper. Which part had the most substance in a cigar? The filler.

As your cigar gets larger, more and more filler gets burned along with a minimal increase in wrapper.  If you want the "best" tastes from your cigar, you want to maximize your wrapper. This is why the finest rated cigars are usually in the corona size. A perfect blend of filler, binder, and wrapper.

Big cigars are fun, but when you want to really get into the depths of your cigar, save that biggie for another time.

No, we don't have TV in our lounge.

As I sit here in one of our comfy lounge chairs, feet up,  Elijah Bossenbroek playing in the background, I'm reminded of a common question/statement made to me by our customers. It's usually something like "You should get a TV in here" or "No TV in the lounge?", to which I respectfully respond, "No TV, only good conversation".

With so much noise on our society, something always wanting our attention, phones always chiming and ringing, we need quiet! Notice how I  had to shout that we need quiet...

If I want to watch TV and smoke a cigar, I'll go to a sports bar. A lounge should be relaxing, comfortable, and not a racket. It should be a place that I can go to after a long day, have a drink, and enjoy good company. Not a place that has a blaring TV, assaulting me with the woes of the world, latest sports info, and who had a good fashion debut.

And that's exactly what we offer, and do not offer here. So please, stop by after a hard day, and enjoy fine company, a perfect pairing with a fine cigar!

New Cigars!

We got in some new Cigars for your smoking pleasure!

4 different CAO.
Brazilia
Criollo
American Potomac
Italia

Super tasty sticks with a beautiful double wrapper on the American!

Also, Arturo Fuente Sungrown double Chateau and Kentucky Fire Kyoto.

The Fuente is a nice medium to full with full flavors and a triple cap.

The KY fire is smoked with 3 different woods whilst being dried in the curing barns!

All excellent smokes that you come to expect to find at BFT.

New Cigar of the Month!

CIGAR OF THE MONTH - MAY

Our New Cigar of the month for May is the Hugo Cessar! Produced by the Ventura Cigar Company in Esteli, Nicaragua. Cessar is rolled up with a nice Sumatra wrapper and Nicaraguan filler for a smooth, mild smoke. Producing excellent flavors of sweet tobacco, toasted bread, and dried herbs, this is a good cigar for any occasion.  Available in short robusto and Corona sizes.

For the whole month of May buy 1 Hugo Cessar, get 1 50% off!!

That's 2 great cigars for only $4.50!

Grand Opening Promos!

Coming up in only 2 short weeks, the official Brothers Fine Tobacco Grand Opening! Hosted by your truly with special guests Southern Draw Cigars, and Solid Rock brewing! 2 great companies based in Austin, TX.

FREE BEER, FREE, CIGARS, AND PIPE TOBACCO!

We'll be giving away a nice cherry wood glass top humidor with 5 cigars, cutter, and lighter to one lucky Winner!

Get one entry for every stick that is purchased on that day, no new to be present to win!

https://www.facebook.com/events/1621996401347532/

April Cigar of the month, almost over!

Only one week left for our cigar of the month sale!

Cuban Rounds Robusto in Natural and Maduro. On sale for only $2.50 a stick!

Hand rolled in Nicaragua, made to replicate those sought after Cuban flavors. Stop in today. This deal ends April 30th!

Find our review of the Maduro on the Cigar Review Page.

Cigar Review: Victor Sinclair Primero Churchill

DON'T RELIGHT THAT CIGAR!

It's been my experience, whether dealing with an everyday cigar or a very nice expensive $10 plus cigar, that relighting is not a good practice. Now there is a difference between relighting the cigar that is gone out during conversation and a cigar that has been out for more than an hour or 2. I definitely do not recommend lighting a cigar that has been out for more than an hour. It's very hard to get the most out of a cigar that's been out for more than an hour. The flavors turn sour because of all the ash that's there in your cigar. The cigar ends up having a burnt harshness to it in conjunction with the moisture generated that basically contaminates the rest of the tobacco that would be good. 

I've had cigars that were over $10 that upon relight were not near as good as when it was burning from the original light. If you feel like you must relight after a cigar has been out for a while, here are some tips before relighting it.

-Clear off ALL the white ash that's on the end. If you can, use your cutter to completely clip the end off the cigar, about a 1/4 inch off.

-Burn the cigar end with plenty of fire. Torch it well.

-Start puffing. Get a good burn as though it was the first light.

All this will help to recapture the flavors your treasure. While you probably won't be tasting the full greatness of your cigar, you can still enjoy about 80% of its glory.

Grand Opening!

If you haven't had a chance to stop in and pay us a visit, now is the time.

Grand Opening!
Friday May 15th, 5pm-8pm. 
Free Cigars!
Free Beer by Solid Rock Brewing!
Discounts!
Giveaways!
and something special for the Ladies...

JOIN THE EVENT ON FACEBOOK

The Million Dollar Cigar Question

As local cigar shop owner, I get asked many questions. Some complicated and in depth, some as simple as "how long will this cutter last?". One of the more common questions is "what is the proper temperature and humidity for cigars?" The answer is... I have to ask you a question. What are you doing with your cigars? Seems like a silly question; smoking them, of course. But when will you smoke them is the real question.

You may have heard of the old saying "70-70" for cigars, stating that cigars should be maintained strictly at 70 degrees and 70% humidity. This is a good general guideline but definitely not required. If you buy some cigars and plan to smoke them with in a week and a half, then you shouldn't worry about keeping them humid, as a tobacconist will maintain them in a proper humidity range. Just keep them in the zip lock bag I gave you and smoke them at will. If you plan to store (age) your precious cargo, here are some guidelines: You SHOULD have a seasoned humidor. Keep that box at a temperature between 67-72 degrees. Maintain the humidor at between 68-71% humidity.

This may seem like a daunting task, but it's really not. After a humidor is properly seasoned (another article), it will easily maintain your humidity in a normal home atmosphere. Think about it, your home is usually between 65-78 degrees in open living areas year round. Relative humidity in Central Texas averages 80%. Not very far from our number we want, huh? Inside that box, the temperature will fluctuate much less than your home, humidity as well. Fear not if your cigars do not stay within the old 70-70 rule, they WILL be fine. Remember: life is short, enjoy your cigars!

FREE Cigar Tasting! Only 5 Spots Available!

Brothers Fine Tobacco is hosting a FREE cigar tasting session on Friday, April 3rd, 6:30pm at its NEW Copperas Cove location! No obligation to buy, this is a free cigar tasting!

This months tasting is:

Cuban Round Natural 5 x 50 size

!!!THERE ARE ONLY 5 SPOTS AVAILABLE FOR THIS EVENT!!!

Open to all, first come, first serve. Must RSVP via Email by April 1st!

More info at www.brothersfinetobacco.com
Check out our cigar reviews on YouTube

Event: Friday, April 3rd, 6:30pm

We've Moved!

As you know, we've been at the Bell County Flea Market Since October 2014. After much deliberation, prayer, and saving. We have moved closer to home in Copperas Cove.

Here is our new sign:

No we are not selling nutrition products. We decided on something that would let new customers know what we are just be driving by. We want to convey the fact that we offer a free smoking area and sell cigars. 

So the new address is 2208 E. Highway 190, Suite 2. We are inside, to the right. You can find a map under FIND US! at the top of the page.

A big thanks to the folks that have provided support to our new location already! Here are a few shots of the inside:

Cigar Review: Moya Cazadores Nautal

Havana seed tobacco, Grown in Tampa Florida, bundle cigars,  machine  rolled. Natural. Roll seems a little tight near foot, and a little soft in the middle. Draw is a little tight. This is a bargain cigar here at Brothers we sell them for only $1.85. 

The smells are very nice just a good overall natural tobacco smell nothing that really stands out as being spicy or earthy or leathery, just all natural tobacco. I'm going to light this up and get into the first third. 

Getting started the draw is very tight. Not a whole lot of flavors. The smoke is soft though with a light body. The aromas that I'm getting from this smoke are a sweet tangy cheese.  Not a bad smell.  Just different. The burn is even enough. 

In the second 3rd, the draw had really opened up, nice and easy. Unfortunately,  the tastes have become slightly bitter. I think a cup  of coffee would help smooth it out.  I get some leather and coffee beans in the taste.

 In the last third, that bitterness has almost disappeared flavors are still straight forward a little bit of leather more of a natural tobacco. Definitely a good buy.

                      I brought these cigars in and a customer told me that he buys them by the bundle as everyday smokes and I agree with him. Good all the way to the last third one for $1.85 that's very surprising.

Thanks for reading!

-John